Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian Hosts 'Mother Earth' Event for Climate Change in the Spirit of Live Earth Project

Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian Hosts 'Mother Earth' Event for Climate Change in the Spirit of Live Earth Project

- The Event Features Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore -

WASHINGTON, July 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire -- The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian announced that it will host a special concert event called "Mother Earth" Saturday, July 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with musical performances and speakers from the scientific and American Indian cultural communities in the spirit of the Live Earth message. Live Earth is a 24-hour, seven-continent concert series that will bring together more than 100 music artists to raise awareness of the solutions for climate change.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who is chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection and partner of Live Earth, is among the speakers who will deliver remarks about climate change during the welcoming ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Performances by country music artists Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood and original and classic blues band Blues Nation follow immediately afterward. As part of this environmental message, the museum will make the broadcast of "Mother Earth" available to Live Earth for worldwide broadcast.

"As a museum of living cultures, the National Museum of the American Indian is pleased to host 'Mother Earth,'" said Tim Johnson (Mohawk), acting director of the museum. "'Mother Earth' is part of the museum's commitment to raising awareness of sustainable living and elevating the understanding of global climate change through innovative educational and cultural programs."

"Mother Earth" -- 12 hours of concerts, speakers and film -- is free and open to the public. The event will take place outdoors at the National Museum of the American Indian's Welcome Plaza (Fourth Street and Independence Avenue S.W., facing the U.S. Capitol). The full-day event will feature films; guest speakers; and Native American rock, funk, punk, reggae, gospel and Andean music, with a finale by Blues Nation at 9:30 p.m.

Schedule of Events for "Mother Earth" at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, July 7:

10:30 a.m. Welcoming ceremony and opening remarks by Tim Johnson
(Mohawk), acting director of the museum

Remarks by guest speakers: Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore,
chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection and partner of
Live Earth; Henrietta Mann, Ph.D. (Cheyenne and member of the
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), professor emeritus
and special assistant to the president of Montana State
University in Bozeman, Mont.; Katsi Cook (Akwesasne Mohawk
Nation), traditional midwife and founding director of the
First Environment Project of Running Strong for American
Indian Youth

Performances by: country music artists Garth Brooks and Trisha
Yearwood and original and classic blues band Blues Nation
(Oklahoma)

11:30 a.m. Native Roots, reggae band from Albuquerque, N.M.

12:15 p.m. Remarks by guest speakers: Daniel Wildcat, Ph.D., professor at
Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and co-
director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center;
Henrietta Mann; and Katsi Cook

12:30 p.m. Yarina (Kichua), traditional and contemporary Andean music and
dance from Boston

1:30 p.m. Screening of "The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy" film in the
Rasmuson Theater

(Note: During the film there will be no performances on the
Welcome Plaza stage.)

3 p.m. Trail of Tears discussion with Chad Smith, principal chief of
the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, in the Rasmuson Theater

3:45 p.m. The Plateros (Dine), rock-tinged gospel from Canoncito, N.M.

4:30 p.m. The Breaking Wind, rock, funk and blues from Canada's Six
Nations Reserve and Caledonia in Ontario

5:15 p.m. Remarks by guest speakers: Nancy G. Maynard, Ph.D., senior
research scientist in the Cryospheric Sciences Branch at NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and manager of
NASA's Tribal College and University Project; and Anthony D.
Socci, Ph.D., senior science and communication fellow in the
Atmospheric Policy Program at the American Meteorological
Society in Washington, D.C.

5:30 p.m. Blues Nation, original and classic blues from Oklahoma

6:30 p.m. The Reddmen, punk rock band from Rapid City, S.D.

7:15 p.m. Native Roots

8 p.m. Yarina

8:45 p.m. The Reddmen

9:30 p.m. Closing remarks with Henrietta Mann and Katsi Cook; musical
finale with Blues Nation and friends

The schedule is subject to change. For updates, visit the museum's Web site at http://www.americanindian.si.edu/motherearth/.

The broadcast portion of "Mother Earth" is being produced by Herring Media Group Inc. of Connecticut. HMG Chairman and CEO Marc Herring said, "It is an honor and privilege to work with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and collaborate with Live Earth to present this important program and celebrate a new era of ecology awareness."

Public only: (202) 633-1000

Source: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

CONTACT: Eileen Maxwell, +1-202-633-6615, maxwelle@si.edu, Leonda
Levchuk, +1-202-633-6613, levchukl@si.edu, or Amy Drapeau, +1-202-633-6614,
drapeaua@si.edu, all of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American
Indian

Web site:

http://www.americanindian.si.edu/

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